Lucian gave a feeble smile. He was still very white. “I shall get a fearful beating,” he said.
“You won’t,” said Bill. “I’ll see to that. I’ll give your uncle something to think about, when I get back to the airport island. He’s going to find himself in hot water very very soon. I don’t care whether he’s bought the island or not. He’s a rogue.”
The sound of an aeroplane’s engine attracted their attention. “It’s Tim’s plane!” cried Jack, and he stood up in the motor-boat and waved. “Ahoy there, Tim!”
The plane swooped down low, and Kiki gave a squawk of terror. Micky hid his head under Philip’s arm. The boys cheered and yelled. “Good-bye, good luck, Tim! Hallo there, girls.”
At about six o’clock in the evening the motor-boat arrived at the airport island. The first thing they saw was the Viking Star in the harbour, still lying silent. The second thing they saw was Tim on the quayside — and the girls with him! They had landed a long time ago, had had a good meal, and then had come down to the quay to wait for the others.
“I’ve been to the police,” said Tim. “Told the chief you had something to report and would he please not go home till he’d seen you. He’s all hot and bothered — it isn’t often anything happens here!”
Bill laughed. “Well, I expect the report will really have to go to the mainland to be dealt with — but as Andros comes from here, and Mr. Eppy hired his boats from here, and presumably saw lawyers here if he bought the island, it’s best to see the chief of police of this island.”
The chief was a small bird-like man with an intelligent face, and quick, darting eyes. He spoke English very well. He was thrilled to think there might be some important news for him.
He listened intently to Bill’s remarkable story, asking a few questions now and again. The children added little bits. When the inspector heard of the treasure he almost fell off his chair.
“We must find out if this man Eppy did buy the island,” he said. “I know him. He is always buying islands and selling them. I do not like him. He is crazy.”
A good deal of telephoning then went on, with a few “hallos” from a rather bored Kiki, and some “Mistersirs” and “One, two, three, pops!”
At last the little man turned to Bill, his face beaming. “Paul Eppy did try to buy the island. But it is not for sale. It is not his — it belongs to our government.”
“Good!” said all the children together.
“What a sell for Mr. Eppy!” said Dinah.
“I hope he will not get away with any of that unique treasure,” said the inspector. “He is not an honest man.”
“He can’t,” said Jack, with a grin. “Andros tampered with the only motor-boat there — he can’t use it. He’s a prisoner there, and so are all the rest of them.”
“Good. I think that is very good,” beamed the bird-like man. He turned to Bill. “If you will be kind enough to put in a report, sir — a detailed one — for me to forward to the mainland — I would be very much obliged. The children should read it, and sign it. And Andros here should sign the part of it that refers to his doings in the matter.”
“Right,” said Bill, and got up to go. “Well, that’s that. I’ve had some thrilling adventures with these four — but this beats the lot. I only wish we could have a bit of that treasure!”
“Sir, you shall,” said the inspector earnestly. “I will see to it personally. My government will be very honoured to allow you to choose what you want from it.”
“A carved dagger for me!” said Philip, at once. “Gosh, what would the boys at school say!”
“Come along,” said Bill. “We’ll go on board the Viking Star, and take Tim to dinner there with us. I want a good bath, a good shave, a good meal and a good sleep in a comfortable bed.”
And off they all went on board the Viking Star, happy and excited, talking nineteen to the dozen!
Chapter 29
HAPPY ENDING AFTER ALL!
IN the night the Viking Star sailed once more. Bill didn’t hear the engines starting up, nor did any of the five children. Kiki woke up, poked her head out from under her wing and then put it back again.
It was astonishing to find themselves at sea once more. They were making for Italy. “Oh dear — we’ve left the treasure island far behind,” said Lucy-Ann mournfully.
“Don’t be a humbug,” said Jack. “You know you’re jolly glad you escaped from it.”
“Yes, I know that,” said Lucy-Ann. “But I just hate leaving all that treasure.”
“I never even saw it,” Jack reminded her. “I feel I’ve been done out of something — all because that idiot of a Kiki took it into her head to fly off my shoulder just as we were going to look for the treasure. Nit-wit!”
“Nit-wit,” echoed Kiki pleasantly. “Tit-bit!” She flew down and looked at a plate of grapes.
“No, you don’t,” said Jack, and removed it from her. “No tit-bits for a nit-wit — and anyway you’ve helped yourself to about two hundred grapes already. You’re a greedy pig, Kiki.”
“I suppose the rest of this cruise will be as dull as ditch-water,” said Philip. He glanced at the little carved ship on the dressing-table of his cabin. “Golly — weren’t we thrilled when we found the treasure map inside! Bill says we’ve got to give that up to the Greek museum, but we can keep the redrawn map, the one we used — if we can get it back from Mr. Eppy!”
“I wonder what Mother will say to all this,” said Dinah suddenly. “She won’t be a bit pleased with Bill, will she? She’ll never speak to him again!”
“Well — that would mean we’d never even see him again!” said Lucy-Ann, horrified at the thought. “I simply love Bill. I wish he was my father. It’s horrid not having a father or a mother. You’re lucky, you and Philip, Dinah, you have got a mother, even if you haven’t a father.”
“Well, you share our mother with us, don’t you?” said Philip, at once. “You call her Aunt Allie — and she treats you as if she was your mother.”
“Yes, I know. She’s a darling,” said Lucy-Ann, and said no more. She was worrying about Bill. Suppose Aunt Allie really kept her word, and refused to speak to Bill again because he had taken them into danger? That really would be dreadful.
It was maddening to sail away from all the romantic little islands, just as they had had such an adventure — all the children longed to know what had happened after they had left. What did Mr. Eppy do? What happened to him? How did he eventually get off the island — or was he still there? And what about the treasure, that fabulous, amazing treasure hidden in the round treasure-chamber deep down in the heart of the old ruined city?
Bill promised to let them know all he heard — and he was as curious as the children! The Viking Star put in at Naples, and then went on to Spain. It was there that Bill got the first news. He came straight to the children.
“Well, you’ll be glad to know that Eppy and Co. couldn’t get off the island, and almost went mad with rage about it. Then that police inspector chap sent a boat there — and what’s more went in it himself — and had the whole lot arrested then and there. What a shock for Mr. Eppy!”
“What about the treasure?” asked Dinah eagerly.
“It’s all been brought out of the round rock-chamber, and is being sent to the mainland to be examined and valued. A list of the things will be sent to us — and we are each to choose a memento!”
“Gosh!” said Jack. “I’ll have a dagger, like Philip, then. I bet the girls will have jewellery.”
“Is it the Andra treasure?” asked Lucy-Ann.
“They seem to think so,” said Bill. All their eyes went to the little ship on the dressing-table. There it stood, its sails set, its Greek name showing on its side. The Andra. What a Ship of Adventure it had been!
“What’s going to happen about Lucian?” asked Dinah. Lucian was still on the Viking Star, but with them, not with his aunt and uncle this time! His aunt, in hysterical tears, had remained on the airport island to be with her husband. Bill had offered to take Lucian back to England, and park him with a school friend till it was time for him to return to his school.